Teachers called yesterday for less testing in schools, warning that relentlessly drilling pupils to pass exams was putting many children off education.

Secondary school must be flexible enough to interest teenage boys and cope with their "raging hormones and their need to show off and rut", said teacher Simon Smith.

The Professional Association of Teachers' annual conference in Oxford backed his motion which said schools were merely teaching children to pass tests and not educating them for life.

Mr Smith, from Sweyne Park School in Rayleigh, Essex, said: "There are and have been many initiatives to make education more relevant.

"But will this be flexible enough to cope with the raging hormones in teenage boys and their need to show off and rut?

"Will our managers be flexible or daring enough to let us try out activities that only lead to better people and not a certificate?"

Mr Smith said "the vast majority" of pupils think the main purpose of going to secondary school is to pass exams.

Children take national SATs tests aged 11, again at 14 and then start two-year GCSE courses.

"This is enough to put children off education. We should be offering a few more activities that include the words 'fun, laugh and giggle'."

On Wednesday the Commons education select committee announced it would be launching a high-profile inquiry into the system of tests and exams in English schools.

Committee chairman Barry Sheerman told the PAT conference he thought there were too many tests and exams, adding that he hoped the inquiry would be under way before Christmas.

A Department for Education and Skills spokesman said: "Testing is an integral part of effective teaching and learning, helping to identify pupils that need extra support as well as those with talents that need to be stretched.

"National curriculum and public examinations are carefully monitored by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to ensure that they test a depth of knowledge that cannot simply be instilled by 'teaching to the test'.